Modern Techniques Used in the Investigation of Crimes Related to the Migration Phenomenon (II)

Abstract

In recent years, a key development in the field of migration within the EU has been the rapid implementation of technology to control the movement of people both within and outside the EU. Technology has significantly improved immigration control measures, leading to what Besters and Brom describe as “the digitization of European migration policy.” Based on a firm belief in the benefits of technology, many controversial technologies, such as algorithmic profiling and passenger surveillance, are being tested on migrants, particularly asylum seekers. EU borders are increasingly being monitored and surveilled by unmanned aerial drones, satellite imagery, and infrared cameras. Encouraged by the rapid development of digital technologies and motivated by security concerns in the wake of migration crises, the EU has significantly expanded the mandate of relevant EU border management agencies, particularly Frontex.

In no area of immigration policy has the rhetorical pursuit of perfection led to more “dead-end” governance (and politics)—rather than contributing to effective solutions—than the attempt to “defeat” illegal immigration exclusively through law enforcement responses.

In Europe and the U.S., this basic premise seems to have held true even when such responses were at least somewhat coordinated to include much stricter border controls, increasing regulation of the labor market, greater internal surveillance, and more persistent efforts to reduce demand for asylum (making it harder both to file applications and to successfully complete the adjudication process).

Four reasons for such a systemic “failure” appear to be the most significant, and we analyze them in this article.